


I Wonder If I Take You Home

by Emonym23



Category: Avengers Assemble (Cartoon), Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Brooklyn, Fluff, Hipsters, IKEA, M/M, Steve is clueless, Tony buys Steve things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-20
Updated: 2014-06-20
Packaged: 2018-02-05 09:54:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1814311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emonym23/pseuds/Emonym23
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It took four seasons of Tony showing up at his door for Steve to get it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Wonder If I Take You Home

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a while back so it's not Cap 2 compatible--it's some mix between the MCU, EMH and AA universes. All mistakes are my own. Title is from the Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam song.

_**Spring** _

Tony walked into Steve’s Brooklyn apartment, looking distinctly out of place in the pared down surroundings. “Seriously, this place is depressing." His eyes roamed over to the industrial bookshelf by the window. "Are you sure you don’t want to stay at the tower?”

Steve’s jaw clenched at the words. He was still getting used to Tony’s personality, particularly the part where he spoke whatever was on his mind. Yet with a casual intimacy and charm that made it hard to really be upset.

“Not now, Stark. I’m going for a run.” Steve pulled up the zipper of his dark blue windbreaker “Wanna join me?”

Tony squinted at Steve for a second. Then he smiled. “Make it a walk and you have a deal.”

The air was chilly for May and Steve would have preferred to run but having company was nice for a change. In fifteen minutes they reached the Brooklyn Bridge. 

Tony asked Steve if he ran all five boroughs on a daily basis.

“Don’t be crazy.” Steve took a swig of his water bottle. “I wouldn’t go to Staten Island.”

That made Tony laugh and Steve liked that sound. The thought was instant. It just planted itself in his brain. He made Tony Stark smile. And that smile was pretty. He mentally shook himself because Tony was talking again.

“…got an idea,” he was saying. They bought ice cream at DUMBO and made their way back to the apartment. A couple of blocks from home they passed a group of kids playing black jack. It was almost like Steve never left his old street. And as he stood there suspended in the moment he could almost convince himself nothing had changed and he had imagined all of this nonsense about the future.

Tony’s hand on his shoulder brought him back. “You in there, Cap?”

“Yeah. It’s just…” He realized he’d been staring and he picked up his pace with Tony following him. “Bucky and I used to play. I guess things don’t change as much as you think.”

Tony looked like he wanted to say something else but he just nodded.

The next time Tony randomly came to his doorstep he told Steve to close his eyes. “No peeking” When Steve opened his eyes again he was holding a box of playing cards with his own shield drawn on the back. “I couldn’t resist. I asked Coulson where I could get them.”

Steve felt himself blushing from his roots. He looked at Tony. “Thanks?”

“You hate it.”

Steve shook his head. He didn't know when it became so important to him that Tony was happy really.

“I don’t hate it. Let’s play.”

_**Summer** _

They took the east river ferry to Williamsburg. Steve scoffed at the hipsters while Tony laughed and promised that IKEA was the best invention ever. Steve was overwhelmed by the space in that furniture store. "Plants?" Steve shook his head when they reached this section. Then he spotted a bamboo plant and smiled. "My mom had a really tall one of those. By the time I was ten it was as tall as me." His mother had always been superstitious about luck. Tony did not seem to have been paying much attention with his eyes glued to his tablet.

Then Tony showed up at his apartment with one stalk of a bamboo plant in a blue glass container. Steve could feel his heartbeat accelerate.

“Tony you didn’t have to bring me anything.”

Tony waved him off. “It’s not a big deal. I just picked it up on the way.” Tony set the tall green plant on the kitchen table. “You should have some life in here.” The television distracted Tony and Steve suddenly wished he’d left it on something else.

“Some Like It Hot?” Tony smirked at him. 

“Don’t.”

“No this is actually one of the better things I imagined. You watching TCM all day. A definite step up from scouring Shield files which is what I thought you’d be doing.”

Clearly Steve will never live down the time he said that was his hobby. “There was a lot to catch up on at the time,” he said defensively.

“Hey, not judging.” Tony jumped onto the couch and patted the spot next to him. It was a casual gesture. Tony probably wasn’t even aware that he made Steve feel special and important in that moment. That little invitation gesture seemed like a lot more in his head than it really was. He had a sudden urge to curl up next to Tony and cuddle into him. 

That was certainly not happening.

Steve sat next to Tony instead like a normal human and told himself to stop. Tony was the only friend he had this century really. He couldn’t mess that up by being an idiot.

_**Fall** _

Tony walked into Steve’s apartment with a bag of DVDs. They were all musicals or musical related films that had come out while Steve was under the ice. Steve shook his head but he’d gotten used to the idea that Tony wouldn’t come empty handed but always with his bizarre and perfect gifts. 

“Have you ever had bubble tea?” Tony asked. Steve shook his head almost certain that was some sort of joke he was going to hear the punch line to now. Instead Tony grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the door. The touch was warm and natural and he cursed himself for the jolt of pleasure it sent through him. It was strong and overpowering. They got all the way to the elevator before Steve realized he wasn’t wearing a jacket and they had to go back. 

It turned out in the end that bubble tea was something he really liked, though in his personal opinion it would be better sans the bubbles. He had yet to have a bad time on an outing with Tony. If he didn’t get his act together he might slip and Tony would discover the non-platonic feelings that had slowly built into a full fledged crush.

*~*

_**Winter** _

Steve arrived at Stark Tower with Clint, Natasha and the Hulk. Apparently they had all received the call to assemble from Tony not ten minutes ago. There was a strange aura around the place when they reached the tenth floor.

“Tony,” Clint called. No response. The Avengers rushed down the stairs. What they found made Steve’s heart sink. Tony was in the workshop, but he lay motionless on the floor. And he wasn’t alone. The enchantress crouched over him, the palm of her hand roving atop his still form, close but not quite touching him. It looked like Tony had fallen off of his bench looking at the state of the tools spread all over the floor. 

“Too late.” Amora smiled. “The eternal sleep is already taking hold.” Steve tossed his shield before she could finish her sentence but it simply dropped to the floor like a toy, stopped by some invisible barrier. The rest of the Avengers advanced forward after that. The same barrier blocked Clint’s arrows and none of them could get anywhere near her. Steve felt a gut-wrenching ache watching Tony lie there with that strange peaceful look on his face. Steve willed him to wake up and blast the witch out of existence.

The sight of mljnoir was never more welcome as the hammer came crashing through the window, breaking the barrier and knocking Amora back.  
Thor stopped the enchantress before she could finish the eternal sleep spell and sent her back to Asgard. “The spell has effects that will take time to wear off,” he said, reassuring them all that Tony would just be more tired than usual and that he had to get his rest. He probably wouldn’t remember much about this after it was over. They all agreed he should at least be able to lie down comfortably so Steve carried the still sleeping Tony upstairs. 

About an hour later, after Tony showed no signs of waking up, the others went their separate ways. Steve stayed. He had the playing cards with him and he shuffled them absently, watching Tony from the corner of his eye. Steve leaned back in his chair, listening to the relaxing steady sound of Tony’s breathing. Then he thought about how weird it would be if Tony woke up to find him sitting next to his bedside so he walked outside and turned on the TV. He fell asleep in front of a baseball game.

When Steve woke again a deep freeze had taken over outside. Steve padded over to the floor length windows and saw that there was frost on them. Then he realized what had woken him up. Tony was standing in the doorway.

“Steve?”

Steve ran toward him. “You’re awake.” He said.

“I was working…”

“The enchantress broke in." Steve ran a hand through his hair. "You should really stop giving your address out to your enemies.”

Tony ran a hand through his ruffled hair and smiled. Steve melted. He melted at that. He hated everything because somehow he’d completely fallen for a teammate he’d spent the past year just reaching the point of friendship with.

“How did I get here?” Tony’s voice was still slurred with tiredness as he walked toward Steve. "To the room I mean." He felt the heat rising in his cheeks.

“I-I brought you.”

“You carried me?”

Steve nodded.

“Like bridal style?”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Get over yourself.”

Tony took Steve’s hand. “My big, muscly hero.”

“Stop.” Steve was warm all over. His body was responding to Tony in a shamefully primal way. Shit. “Well, I’m gonna get going.”

“But baby it’s freezing outside.”

Tony was in Steve’s personal space. His arms wrapped around Steve’s waist. He crossed them right around Steve’s hips. Steve would like to say he fought the good fight but he just leaned in and kissed Tony. It was like it was something they’d done thousands of times. At the same time it was new and electrifying, and it flooded him inside and out. He felt dizzy when they stopped to catch their breath and Tony’s eyes were brown and alive and he was grinning. They were both breathing so heavy it was all Steve could hear. Tony’s hands draped over the side of his neck and their foreheads pressed together as if they couldn’t stand to be separated. Steve realized with a rush that he couldn’t.

“Sorry,” he said, stupidly.

“Shut up.” Tony said. Then he kissed Steve again.

Tony showed up at his door again three weeks later. It was late in January now and Tony rushed in because the weather was still unbearable in the city. Steve let him in and shifted his weight guiltily, trying to busy his hands before just leaning awkwardly back on the counter. He couldn’t get their last interaction out of his mind.

Tony must have perceived his mood immediately because he said. “What’s wrong, sweetie?”

“I should tell you,” Steve pursed his lips. “The time when the enchantress put that spell on you. I did something...wrong.” His heart was beating so fast and hard he could hear it pulsing in his ears. 

“Don’t tell me, you’ve gone to the dark side. They don’t really have cookies. That’s just an expression.”

Steve shook his head. “Seriously.” He crossed his arms in front of him. “I took advantage of you. You don’t remember.”

Tony looked dumbfounded for a moment before he started to laugh. He stopped abruptly when he saw Steve’s face. “You did, eh? Want to refresh my memory?”

“I’m serious, Tony.”

“Yes you are. And yes I want to kiss you again.” Tony moved forward until their faces were inches apart. “Now can I, please?”

Tony’s warm wet lips touched his and his mind went peacefully numb.

“You know this place is still depressing,” Tony said, catching his breath. “Come to Stark Tower. All the Avengers are doing it.” It was true that Clint and Natasha had both practically moved in since the incident.

“You remember everything, then?” Steve felt his chest tighten again and his skin flush.

“Yes, don’t dodge the question. I’m starting to think you’re using me for my kisses. Joking by the way. Don’t freak out.”

Steve pulled back and ran his tongue over his bottom lip, tasting the ghost of Tony's kiss. “What’s the question again?

“Avengers tower?”

“Okay, okay," Steve agreed.

“Good." Tony took Steve's hand lightly. 

Steve never felt more at home.

~Fin~


End file.
